Pipe wrench



W. GORDON PIPE WRENCH Feb. 22 1927.

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W. GORDON PUE WRENCH Feb. 22 1927.

FiledMarCh 22. 1922 2 SheetS-SheetZ Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

f irlaszo WILLIAM. e-oRnoN, or UNION, New ann-snr.

PIPE WRENCH.

Application filed March 22, 1922. Serial No. 545,796.

This invention relates to improvements in pipe wrenches'. v

The principal objects of this invention are to produce a quick-acting 'pipe wrench construction which may be instantaneously manipulated into proper adjustment for the purpose of procuring an effective grip on a pipe or the like wit-hout the usual tightening-up by a screw and which grip may be instantaneously released and retaken; to produce a construction which will enable a fineness of adjustment of the jaws in relation to the pipe to be had so as to cause a more secure grip of the pipe or the like in manipulation thereof; to produce a pipe wrench in which one of thel gripping` jaws is arranged to swing on aV fixed shank at a point intermediate the ends thereof and the swinging movement thereof is greatly facili.- tated; to produce a vpipe wrench in which one of the gripping jaws isl mounted to slide along a shank into gripping engagement with a swingingl jaw; to produce a pipe wrench in which the sliding jaw is slidable along a portion of the shank abovethe point at which the swinging jaw is connected to the shank; to produce a pipe wrench of the type above specified in which the sliding jaw may be automatically retracted from its engaging position and a double release is provided; to produce a pipe wrench which may not only be more quickly, readily and accurately 'adjusted to fit a pipe but may be released more readily and veasily than has heretofore been possible for ythe purpose' of taking a new hold on said pipe by a movement of the swinging jaw' only, viz, by a pressing of the thumb of the user on the rear or operating part thereof, and which furthermore will, unless so manipulated at the operating part, securely grip and produce a locking engagement between the jaws on the pipe; to produce an instantaneouslyreleasable pipe wrench in which the manipulation ofthe swinging jaw may be employed in combination with the manipulation of the sliding aw to procure an effective grip; to

produce a pipe wrench -in which the release j members are conveniently locatet, viz, the release member for the automatically retractable jaw is located at one side of the wrench for operation by the forefinger and the release or opening member for the swinging jaw is located opposite the same for operation by the thumb, so that the wrench may be operated by one hand. Y

l/iththese and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined 4trated inthe accompanying drawings; in

Fig. l is a side elevation having parts brokenaway and shown in section of a pipe wrench embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a wrench gripping' a piece of pipe;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l looking in the direction ofthe arrow;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line e-fl of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a. diagrammatic view showing the relationship of the various engaging members with the rack of the sliding jaw;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of my invention;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the wrench shown in- Fig. 6; Y

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 6; I Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation of the pivotally movable jawseparated from the other parts ofthe wrench; and

Fig. 10, is a perspective view of the operating hood for the pivotally movable jaw shown in Figs. .6 and 7.

Referring now to Athese drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, l indicates the shank of a wrench which is relatively stationary and; as illustrated, is composed of a relatively thick body portion having a notch or pawl housing lL formed therein and. atop portion lb of reduced. size. 0n the body portion of the shank is mounted a rearward extension 3 of a swinging jaw i which, as shown, is pivoted at 2. This swinging jaw, as shown, is provided with a guiding"socket'ta and the top of the vreduced portion of the shank is provided with a pin l? which tits into said guiding socket and is adapted to guide the jaw in its pivotal movement inrelat-ion to .the shank and to take up lateral strain thereon, and said jaw furthermore has a tail piece 3a integral with the extension 3 and extending to the opposite side of said pivot. rhis tail piece 3 is normally held in elevated position by means of a'flat spring 3l so that the jaw 4 will be resiliently pressed into its most for Yard position. Theisliding jaw 5 is provided with a socket 5a and is mounted to slide on the reduced shank por tion l" between the jaw 4 and the body portion l of the shank at which point the said pivot-ally n'io'vable jaw Ll is pivoted to the shank. Said sliding jaw 5 is provided with a` rearwardly extending rack portion 6 having a series oi teeth 7 disposed inwardly toward the shank. `Iloused within the housing l. in the shank are a series ot three rack `enga ging members S, each of which is provided with rounded rear ends 8l and is pivotaily mounted in a rounded socket 1 1 at the lewe r end oi said housing l. lSaid rack engaging members S are provided with outwardly eX- tending teeth S and are each `normally pressed independently into engagement with the teeth 7 oit the rack (i by means et a flatspring 9 having divided legs pressing against each oit' such rack engaging members S independently. i i

The sliding jaw 5 is,` as shown, normally drawn `to its rear positionby a spring l() stretchedibetween pin 1l at one end of the `shank and aneye 12 on the rack (i. The spring, rack and rack engaging members are preferably all assembled in the rear end oi the wrench and a asing 13 is slid over the same and suitably connected in `position by pins l3-l3l' to the shank, so as to enclose all the parts and retain the same in their relative operative positions. The engaging members 8 for the rack of the sliding jaw are disposed one alongside oi' the other and in such relationsh to the rack as to subdivide or split up tie space between a tooth thereof, as will be seen bypan exaniination of F ig, 5, in which 6 is the rack, S, 8 and S indicate the rack-engaging members, and thus to permit a line adjustment to be made and a tighter grip to be obtained upon the pipe or the like which it is desired to manipulate.

.Each of the rack engaging men'ibers is provided at itsiforward end with shoulders C and these shoulders are prelerably engaged conjointly by a lifter bar let which is connected to a linger actuated bail portion 15 extending to the front side of the wrench at a position substantially opposite to the releasing tail piece, so that in the operation 0f the wrench the release of the sliding jaw may `he eileeted by one ot the lingers, while the tail` piece may, if desired, be operated to release by the thumb oi. the hand, thus resulting in a double release and double positioning means and in a convenient positioning and easily operable relationship of the operating partsof the wrench so that the wrench may be manipulated by one hand,

In the embodiment shown in Figs. G to 10, which is my preferred embodiment of my wrench, a swinging jaw is provided with a tail piece 23 and` :tulcrumed on a shank 2l otthe wrench by means of a tulcrum projection which is disposed between the ends .ot the tail piece 23 of said jaw and seats in a notch illitin said shank 2l. The jaw held in place on the shank and manipulated to swing about its iulcruin projection by a separate .hood Q5 which is pivoted at 2G on the shank inwardly oi" said 't'ulcrum projection and in substantial alignmeutwith the point about which the jaw swings on said projection. A very short still leverage action between the endet the hood 25"L and said 'Fulcrum and pivot will be produced when pressure applied at the gripping end of saidjaw and transmitted to the end 25 ot the hood but a long lever easy oit manipulation will be provided when prossure is applied at theoposite end 251 ol said hood and the swinging jaw may theretore be more readily7 easily and quickly manipulated than has heretofore been possible. The tail piece 23 ot the said jaw is provided with a spring E27 to nornnilly maintain the said tail piece in elevated position and to swing the saine` about the ulcrum so as to swing the piw into gripping position. i

In other respects the construction shown in said Figs. ti to l() is the same as that above described in relation. to F l to 5.

The operation ot the wrench shown in Figs. Il to 5 is :Follows:

Assuming that the wrench is in the position shown in Fig. `l and it-is desired to grip a pipe or the like, the swinging jaw i is swung open by pressure on the tail piece 3 and the sliding jaw 5 is moved upwardly .usually by thethuinla into griping engagement with the pipe or the like and the wrench will then assume the position shown in F ig. 2. llllrenchos oit this character )very often freeze orloch on the pipe in this position and `it then becomes impossible to release the saine. In this embodiment ol" theinvention, however, when it desired to release the french from. the pipe to which :it` is so locked, the releasing pawl l5 is pressed ii'iwardly and the sliding jaw 5 in stantaneously and automatically by the :ie-- tion ot the spring 10 is pulled away trom gripping relationship with the object gripped thereby. i

The operation oi the wrench shown in Figs. G to l0 is in all respects sin'iilar to that hereinabove described,` except that pressure is applied on the end 25" ot the hood Q5 to release instead ot directly on the end piece and except that when pressure is e1;- erted at the gripping end ot the jaw 20 a very short stift leverage action or a lockingI joint will be proiluced between the end Q5 of the hood and said fulcrnm and pivot.

`The lnenessot' aljustment in the rack engaging members enables the accurate enllt gagement and therefore the more firm gripping of pipes of greater variation in diameter than could be gripped without suoli fine adjustment, and without the usual tightening up by screw-adjusting means, and in view of the ability to release instantly by the retracting spring 10, the swinging jaw may be opened at the same time that the sliding jaw is pushed up for the purpose o f getting a tighter grip, and this may be done without fear of sticking` or jamming of the parts.

It will be obvious that an extremely quick-acting mechanism is produced which may be applied to and released from a pipe or the like instantly. Either of the constructions hereinabove described may be operated easily and quickly by one hand of the operator.

Having described my invention, I claim l. In a pipe wrench, in combination, a stationary shank having an upper slide-bar portion and a pivot-bearing below said portion, an upper jaw having a rearward extension disposed at the rear and substantially parallel to said slide-bar portion and pivotally mounted on said shank below said slide-bar portion, said parts being arranged to cause said upper to be'movable transversely across and adjacent to the upperend of said slide-bar portion of the shank, another jaw slidable on the slide-bar portion of said shank and 'having a movement limited by the bottom of the upper jaw and said pivot-bearing, releasable means for adjustably retaining said jaws in varying positions relative to each other to grip a pipe, and said rearward extension having an operating part below said pivot for swinging said jaw relatively to the slide-bar portion of said shank.

2. ln a pipe wrench, in combination, a stationary shank, a jaw having swinging movement only and provided with a rearwardly-extending portion fulcrumed ybetween its ends on said shank, an operating member for said swinging jaw having a connection with said fulcrum portion and independently pivoted on said shank to facilitate the movement of said fulcrumed part, and another jaw movable longitudinally on said shank and relatively to said swinging jaw to grip anobj ect therebetween.

3. In a pipe wrench, in combination, a stationary shank, a jaw having swinging movement only and provided with a rea-rwardly-extending portion fulcrumed between its ends on said shank, a hood independently p-ivoted on said shank in substantial alignment with said fulcrum and extending unequal distances to opposite sides f of said fulcrum, whereby the shank swingsaid shank to swing about an axis between l its ends and having an operating part at the rea-r of said axis for swinging said jaw about the same, a sliding jaw movable on said shank between the said first mentioned jaw and its mounting, means mounted in said shank for adj Listing the sliding jaw in its sliding movement, operating means extending to one side of the shank for releasing said adjusting means and manuallymovable leverage-increasing means at the opposite side of said shank for engaging said rearward extension at the rear of the axis about which it swings to actuate the swinging aw in its swinging movement.

5. In a pipe wrench, in combination, a stationary shank comprising a member extending substantially the entire length of the wrench, a swinging aw having anintegral portion fulcrumed on said shank between the ends thereof, a longitudinallymovable jaw having a socket slidable on said shank, manually-releasable spring-operable means extending to one side of said shank for adjusting the sliding jaw in its sliding movement, a hood at the opposite side of said shank pivoted on the shank in substantial alignment with said fulcrum, extending unequal distances to opposite sides of said fulcrum and having a tail piece for manipulatino` said swinging jaw.

6. In a pipe wrench, in combination, a stationary shank comprising a member extending substantially the entire length of the wrench and provided `at itsk outer 'end with a projection, a swinging aw having an integral portion fulcrumed on said shank between the ends thereof and having a slot forming a sliding connection with the projection at the endof said shank, a longitudinally-mova'ble jaw having a socket slidable on said shank, manually-releasable springoperable means extending to one side of said shank for adjusting the sliding jaw in its sliding movement, a hood pivoted at the opposite side of said shank in substantial alignment with said fulcrum, extending unequal distances to opposite sides of said fulcrum, and having a tail piece for manipulating said swinging jaw.

n witness whereof, I have signed my name to the foregoing specification.

WILLIAM GORDON. 

